Ii wanted to right off the bat say “disco” in honor of the namesake Bollywood tune;) But more seriously, it’s a great question/observation to which I don’t have an answer. But what it reveals is that if we work toward wanting to feel a certain way, we can. The power of intention. So maybe we celebrate each of the 365 days in a holiday spirit!
Ha! I didn't even think of that. It's the time to Disco! Been a while since I heard that. Brings back memories. Yes, we can definitely "plan ahead" to feel a certain way and work towards it. It's all up to us, how we feel, how we act, the intentionality of it all. I know its easily said than done but certainly a mind-set to have.
Setting intentions is something I like to do every morning. It really works. And then of course, the Vedanta, which I am a believer in, says it’s all Maya and we must be a Sakshi or observer to life. In which case holidays or no holidays does not matter. Kind of like having an internal thermostat that makes you have the same attitude towards life’s experiences, good or bad. Hard, but possible, and an ideal to achieve for us to achieve.
Great question—I personally think it’s best learned from a guru first and then supplemented with readings. I attend Bhagavad Gita and Vedanta classes at the Chinmaya mission in the DC area. Note, Vedanta can exist independent of BG but not vice versa. The Chinmaya mission’s edition of BG (which you can get for free—link at the end) has a great introduction. I am not a guru, but I have written a few posts on some key aspects of Vedanta based on my understanding through the classes.
It seems tradition and intention come naturally with hauling out the bins of decorations, wrappings, recipes. More smiles everywhere...”bright while teeth” here in the Midwest too! And “red and green come out to play”...outdoing each other in plaids and florals, matchy matchy or token bows and broaches. I like the rhythm here. Raj, your playfulness with words. This is quite uplifting and well done in my opinion! Thanks for bringing to my attention.
It's indeed a magical time when people seem to embrace kindness and goodwill with open hearts. This festive season is indeed a good time for us to take pause to appreciate the beauty around us and indulge in the warmth of togetherness.
"So here we are, to take a break, to be cared for, to reflect upon, to hold hands, to give and to forgive. We are here to replenish the love we lost, and to regain our strength." Well put!
Nicely put. I love how humanity has a brief period every year when we collectively reset, reflect, and get ready to get back to work. I love this about humans.
Ii wanted to right off the bat say “disco” in honor of the namesake Bollywood tune;) But more seriously, it’s a great question/observation to which I don’t have an answer. But what it reveals is that if we work toward wanting to feel a certain way, we can. The power of intention. So maybe we celebrate each of the 365 days in a holiday spirit!
Ha! I didn't even think of that. It's the time to Disco! Been a while since I heard that. Brings back memories. Yes, we can definitely "plan ahead" to feel a certain way and work towards it. It's all up to us, how we feel, how we act, the intentionality of it all. I know its easily said than done but certainly a mind-set to have.
Setting intentions is something I like to do every morning. It really works. And then of course, the Vedanta, which I am a believer in, says it’s all Maya and we must be a Sakshi or observer to life. In which case holidays or no holidays does not matter. Kind of like having an internal thermostat that makes you have the same attitude towards life’s experiences, good or bad. Hard, but possible, and an ideal to achieve for us to achieve.
Great message and analogy. If I need to study the philosophies of Vedanta, where do I start?
Great question—I personally think it’s best learned from a guru first and then supplemented with readings. I attend Bhagavad Gita and Vedanta classes at the Chinmaya mission in the DC area. Note, Vedanta can exist independent of BG but not vice versa. The Chinmaya mission’s edition of BG (which you can get for free—link at the end) has a great introduction. I am not a guru, but I have written a few posts on some key aspects of Vedanta based on my understanding through the classes.
Sakshi- https://anuprabhala.substack.com/p/befriend-the-sakshi-in-you-and-live
https://anuprabhala.substack.com/p/be-the-thinker-not-the-thoughts
My friend Anju’s cancer journey is a living example of Vedanta as medicine-https://anuprabhala.substack.com/p/everyday-hero-anju-bhargava-obama
I hope this helps, there’s a lot of Mananam series books by Chinmaya publications that help understand the practical implementation of Vedanta.
Anu
Free Bhagavad Geeta - https://cmwrc.chinmayadc.org/geetadoota/
It seems tradition and intention come naturally with hauling out the bins of decorations, wrappings, recipes. More smiles everywhere...”bright while teeth” here in the Midwest too! And “red and green come out to play”...outdoing each other in plaids and florals, matchy matchy or token bows and broaches. I like the rhythm here. Raj, your playfulness with words. This is quite uplifting and well done in my opinion! Thanks for bringing to my attention.
Thank you for reading. Appreciate your feedback.
It's indeed a magical time when people seem to embrace kindness and goodwill with open hearts. This festive season is indeed a good time for us to take pause to appreciate the beauty around us and indulge in the warmth of togetherness.
"So here we are, to take a break, to be cared for, to reflect upon, to hold hands, to give and to forgive. We are here to replenish the love we lost, and to regain our strength." Well put!
Thank you for reading.
Nicely put. I love how humanity has a brief period every year when we collectively reset, reflect, and get ready to get back to work. I love this about humans.